The subject matter described herein generally relates to the encryption of hard disk drives (HDD) utilizing encryption keys, such as through encryption software programs or dedicated encryption hardware.
Due to data security concerns, there is a strong push in the industry for improved data encryption solutions. For example, a Full Disk Encryption (FDE) HDD is the result of combining a standard HDD with an encryption key built into the HDD Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA). All data written to the platters of an FDE drive is automatically encrypted. Generally, when an end user receives a computer with an encrypted HDD, the HDD is encrypted with a default encryption key generated by the HDD supplier. Many end users may not trust the default encryption key that comes with their system and may want to generate their own encryption key. However, it can be prohibitively difficult for an end user to generate an encryption key and subsequently reconfigure their computer system.